Nanostructured Materials: From Thermoelectric Properties to Energy, Sensor...

DANIEL J. EPSTEIN DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING SEMINAR"Nanostructured Materials: From Thermoelectric Properties to Energy, Sensor, and Therapeutic Applications"Li Shi, Ph.D.Associate Professor and Myron L. Begeman Fellowship in Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Texas Materials Institute, University of Texas at AustinABSTRACT: Transport of charge, heat, and light can be manipulated in nanostructured materials via confinements of electrons, phonons, and photons in one or more dimensions. Various classical and quantum size confinement effects on thermal and thermoelectric properties have been suggested by theoretical calculations, but have not been experimentally verified because of the difficulty in nanoscale thermal transport and thermoelectric measurements. During the past few years, we have developed a number of methods based on scanning probe microscopy and nanofabricated devices for thermal and thermoelectric characterizations of nanomaterials. These methods have enabled us to observe for the first time record-high thermal conductivity in individual single-wall and multi-wall carbon nanotubes, suppressed thermal conductivity and enhanced thermoelectric figure of merit in semiconducting thin films and nanowires. The findings suggest an escalating self-heating problem in nanoelectronic devices, as well as novel uses of nanomaterials for thermal management and for direct thermal-to-electrical energy conversion. In related exploratory efforts, we have demonstrated ultrasensitive and stable nerve agent detectors based on SnO2 nanowires integrated into MEMS, nanowire plasmonic probes for near field scanning optical microscopy, and high-throughput nano-imprint manufacturing of shape-specific, disease-responsive polymeric nanocarriers for drug and imaging agent delivery. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2007, GERONTOLOGY BUILDING (GER) ROOM 309, 2:00 – 3:00 PM----------------BIOGRAPHY: Li Shi received his B.E. degree from Tsinghua University, Beijing in 1991, M.S. degree from Arizona State University in 1997, and Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of California at Berkeley in 2001. Dr. Shi was a Research Staff Member at IBM Research Division from 2001 to 2002. He joined UT Austin Department of Mechanical Engineering and Texas Materials Institute as an assistant professor in January 2002 and became an associate professor from September 2006. He received the CAREER award from the National Science Foundation in 2003, the Young Investigator Award from Office of Naval Research in 2004, the ASME Transaction Journal of Heat Transfer Outstanding Reviewer Award in 2005, and the Myron L. Begeman Fellowship in Engineering at UT Austin in 2007.

Location: Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center (GER) - 309

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Georgia Lum